Pot Smugglers Make Another Attempt to Unload at County Line in Malibu

• Illegal Boat Forays Are Becoming More Frequent

BY ANNE SOBLE

Federal authorities arrested three allegedly undocumented individuals on Sunday for attempting to smuggle marjiuana onshore in western Malibu north of Yerba Buena Road.

The latest incident occurred just two weeks after a major bust of over a ton of marijuana in the same vicinity had put federal agents and local law enforcement on alert for illegal activity off Pacific Coast Highway north of the county line.

The boat and its contraband were spotted first before dawn. A multi-agency foot search then got underway that resulted in the apprehension of the three men several hours later.

Officials indicated that the trio said they were transporting several hundred pounds of marijuana in the panga-like fishing boat and had brought the boat ashore and then scattered.

Smuggling incidents have increased in the Malibu 90265 zip code area of Ventura County in the last two years as other avenues for access to the local drug market have been closed off.